Process for treating fur.



ED STATES PATE OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. BRAUN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR TREATING FUR.

No Drawing.

and useful Improvements in Processes forv Treating Fur, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process for treating raw rabbits hair or fur or any raw hair or fur adapted to be used for batters stock, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved process whereby I am enabled to secure a better grade or quality of the finished article from cheap raw material, than has heretofore been secured from a more expensive grade of raw material.

It is well-known that in the hatters art, rabbits hair or fur is treated in such manner that it will shrink or felt and thereby become a homogeneous mass suitable for the making of hats. However, processes heretofore used for accomplishing the ends sought have been open to objection for the several reasons that they are unsanitary, highly injurious to the health of the operatives and expensive because of the cost of the raw material and the time required in bringing the article to a finished state. It will be seen as this description proceeds that these several objections have been entirely eliminated by my improved process.

In carrying out the invention, I first separate the hair or fur of the rabbit from the hide and then treat the separated hair or fur by submerging the same for twenty minutes in a boiling solution consisting of soda ash (sodium carbonate) or its equivalent and water in the proportions of 30 drams of the soda ash (sodlum carbonate) to seven and one-half gallons of water or I may subject the fur or hair to the action of this solution by spraying or steaming the hair or fur with said solution and then dry ing the hair or fur. However the solution of soda ash need not be at the boiling point, but heated to a high temperature to msure the proper treatment of the hair or fur.

By using the cut raw stock, as hereinbefore set forth, a more uniform finished product is produced than otherwise would be the case because this cut stock when submerged in the boiling solution above described is treated in such manner as to separate each individual hair and also destroy the life of thehair and permit the mass of hair to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

Application filed September 20, 1916. Serial No. 121,304.

shrink or felt in a uniform and highly effective manner, which insures the formation of a perfect cone and prevents the development of holes therein such as frequently result in the methods heretofore employed. In some of the methods with,

which I am familiar, nitrate of mercury has been employed for carroting the hair or fur. Nitrate of mercury is highly injurious to the operatives employed in the Work and is one of the causes of the formation of the holes above referred to, these holes result-. ing from the non-uniform distribution of the nitrate of mercury.

The hair or fur when placed in the solution of soda ash (sodium carbonate) and boiling water above set forth is preferably slightly agitated in order that the solution may come into intimate contact with each and every hair so that the hairs may be individually separated and treated to kill the life therein.

Since the cut, raw hair is employed, the

solution can reach the inside of the shell of each individual hair to thereby accomplish the desired result of destroying the life of the hair.

After the stock has been treated in the bath, it is removed therefrom, dried, run through a picker and blowing machine of the usual and Well-known type and is then ready to be made into cones or forms in the manner well-known to those skilled in the art.

When stock treated 'by my process has been coned or formed, I find it necessary to employ only water, at the boiling point, for shrinking or felting the material, the

application of this boiling water being contmued until the desired size of cone has been produced. In some of the methods heretofore employed vitriol is employed during the shrinking or felting operation and since my process substitutes for that dangerous, expensive and injurious step, the application of only boiling water, it W111 be seen that a decided advantage is had.

A further advantage of my process is that when the stock is dried, it is then ready for immediate'further use and may be at once worked into the finished product. This is not true of stock treated by known methods employing nitrate of mercury because under those methods it has been necessary to lay .the stock aside for a considerable periodof time.

I have found that the ingredient employed by me renders it possible to secure a high grade of finished material from a low grade of raw material and it will, therefore, be manifest that my process possesses numerous advantages among them being the marked economy achieved by the use of the cheap soda ash (sodium carbonate) in lieu of the more expensive nitrate of mercury and the use of plain boiling water in lieu of vitriol, the more eflicient results arising from the fact that a high grade finished product is secured from a low grade raw material, the elimination of chemicals dangerous to the life and health of the operatives and a general improvement in the sanitary condition under which the work is done. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise steps set forth or to the exact proportions recited for these may be varied without departure from the essential features of the invention.

I am aware that it is old to use sodium carbonate or ordinary washing soda as a means for softening water to accomplish a cleansing of coarse hair or wool, and therefore I make no claim to the same.

Having described my invention what I claim is 1. The process of'treating hair or fur for hatters stock, which consists in subjecting the same to the action of a solution of soda ash (sodium carbonate) heated to a .high temperature.

2. The process of treating hair or fur for hatters stock, which consists in separating the hair or fur from the hide and then subjecting the hair or fur to the action of a solution of soda ash (sodium carbonate) heated to a high temperature.

3. The process of treating hair or fur for hatter-s stock, which consists in immersing the hair or fur in boiling water containing soda ash (sodium carbonate).

misses 4. The process of working hatters stock, which consists in immersing hair or fur for such stock in boiling water containing soda ash (sodium carbonate), forming the stock,

and shrinking or felting the same by the application of hot water.

5. The process of treating hair or fur for hatter-s stock, which consists in removing the hair or fur from the hide, and boiling the hair or fur, so removed, in Water containing soda ash (sodium carbonate).

6. The process of treating hair or fur for batters stock, which consists in removing the hair or fur from the hide, boiling the hair or fur, so removed, in water containing soda ash (sodium carbonate), forming the stock, and shrinking or felting the stock by the application of hot water.

7. The process of treating hair or fur for hatters stock, which consists in removing the hair or fur from the hide, and boiling the hair or fur, so removed, in a solution of thirty drams of soda ash (sodium carbonate) to seven and one half gallons of water.

8. The process of treating hair or fur for hatters stock, which. consists in boiling the hair or fur in a solution of thirty drams of soda ash (sodium carbonate) to seven and one half gallons of water.

9. The process of working hair or fur for hatters stock, which consists in removing the hair or fur from the hide, boiling the hair or fur, so removed, in a solution of thirty drains of soda ash (sodium carbonate) to seven and one half gallons of water, forming the stock, and shrinking or felting the stock by the application of hot water.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM P. BRAUN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT BRAUN, DOROTHY W. RANDOLPHI.. 

